Software Setup, Errors, and General Questions

Setting up a shared plotter in a network environment with multiple users

Posted July 30, 2015, 7:21:00 AM ∙ By Admin ∙ 1705 Views

Network Shared Plotter Setup

In a network environment with multiple PDS/Grading users and multiple marking users,
it is very common to have one or more plotters that are shared among the users.
Plotters could include pattern plotter often capable of changing tools (pen/knife) or marker plotters.The following sample cases represent the most common set up. Please refer to the situation that matches your configuration.
The variables in the StyleCAD setup are where the style/marker folder is located and how the folder is mapped if it is a network folder.

The user is running a marking program from PC1 or PC2 on the same network. The style and marker files reside in PC3.
The user wants to submit a marker plot job to OM running on PC3. The network drive mapping can be made to \\PC3\C: or \\PC3\scad. * Computer Name: pc1, pc2, pc3 (OM runs here and contains style/marker folder)

The user is running a marking program from PC1 on the same network. The style and marker files reside in PC2.
The user wants to submit a marker plot job to OM running on PC3. The network drive mapping can be made to \\PC3\C: or \\PC3\scad. * Computer Name: pc1 (marking program), pc2 (style/marker folder), pc3 (OM running)

The user is running a PDS/Grading program and the Plot Manager (PM) from PC1 or PC2 on the same network.
The style and marker files reside in PC3 where the Output Manager (OM) is running. The user wants to submit a pattern plot job to OM running on PC3.
The network drive mapping can be made to either \\PC3\C: or \\PC3\scad. * Computer Name: pc1/pc2 (PDS and PM program), pc3 (style/marker folder, OM running)

The user is running a PDS/Grading program from PC1 on the same network. The style and marker files reside in PC2.
The user wants to submit a marker plot job to OM running on PC3. The network drive mapping can be made to \\PC3\C: or \\PC3\scad.. * Computer Name: pc1 (PM), pc2 (Style folder), pc3 (OM)

The user is running a PDS/Grading program from PC1/PC2 on the same network. The style and marker files reside locally in PC1/PC2.
Therefore, OM computer does not have direct access to the style files in either PC1 or PC2. The user wants to submit a pattern plot job from PM in either PC1 or PC2 to OM running on PC3.
In this case, the plot submit must be done with the Copy to Plot Server option in PM. The style file is copied from the local folder in PC1/PC2 to PC3 local folder before OM starts plotting.